1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to X-ray cassette holders, and more particularly to a portable autoclavable X-ray cassette holder with hold-down means for positioning and holding the patient's limb from the hip or shoulder proximally and/or extremities in a position on the holder relative to the X-ray cassette contained therein which does not require an attendant to maintain proper position and completely eliminates radiation exposure to attendants.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
When taking X-rays of a patient's limb from the hip or shoulder proximally and/or remaining limb distally during surgical procedures (intraoperatively), it is common to place a sterile plastic bag over the X-ray cassette and position the limb and/or extremity on the X-ray cassette. In such situations the patient may be lying on an operating table and may not be conscious or may otherwise may be incapable of holding his or her limb in a particular position to be X-rayed. Thus, the patient's limb is usually held still by the physician or an attendant while the X-ray is being taken. However, very often the physician or attendant will move the limb or extremity or hold it improperly to avoid radiation exposure to himself or herself, resulting in a poor or inaccurate X-ray.
While holding the limb and/or extremity against the X-ray cassette, physicians and attendants are often exposed to radiation which, with repeated exposure over extended periods of time, is detrimental to their health.
There are several patents which disclose various X-ray cassette holders.
Griffiths, U.S. Pat. No. 4,961,502 discloses an X-ray cassette holder for use in an operating room which, in the preferred embodiment, is formed of a open ended rigid rectangular upper collar with a reduced rectangular receiver portion and a rectangular cover hinged at one side to the receiver portion and a flexible bag forms the bottom main body portion. In another embodiment, the holder is a hollow generally rectangular member with a reduced rectangular receiver portion at its open end and a rectangular cover hinged at one side to the receiver portion. The components are formed of rigid laminated cardboard or plastic which is capable of sterilization by irradiation. There is no suggestion of any means for holding or maintaining a patient's limb in a position relative to the X-ray cassette.
Malley, U.S. Pat. No. 5,327,912 discloses an X-ray poser having a sliding carriage to which a patient's forearm and hand may be strapped at a prescribed angle for evaluating carpal tunnel syndrome conditions. An X-ray cassette is removably received in a pair of L-shaped base members beneath the carriage.
Brotzman, U.S. Pat. No. 5,563,926 discloses a frame-like support for an X-ray cartridge which includes a flat base plate to be placed under the leg of a patient that has a series of slots and projections and an L-shaped X-ray cartridge support formed of U-shaped channels at one end of the base plate that support an X-ray cartridge. A patient's foot is supported against the X-ray cartridge and the patient's leg is strapped to the base plate by a tie-down strap formed of a length of gauze or surgical sponge.
Fick et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,684,853 discloses a holder for a flexible X-ray cassette having a radiolucent top plate, a parallel bottom plate, rectangular side bars along three sides, and an upwardly resiliently biased interior pressure plate that urges the flexible cassette against the underside of the top plate. The cassette holder may be placed in a rigid rectangular support housing formed of a radiolucent top plate, a parallel bottom plate, and rectangular side bars along three sides with two of the side bars having resilient slides that urge the top plate of the cassette holder against the underside of the top plate of the housing. The housing is used to support heavy subjects above a cassette holder that is not itself sturdy enough to support the heavier subject. Both the cassette holder and the outer support housing are open at one end and there is no provision for holding or maintaining a patient's limb in a position relative to the X-ray cassette.
The present invention is distinguished over the prior art in general, and these patents in particular by an autoclavable X-ray cassette holder that removably receives and contains an X-ray cassette and maintains a patient's limb and/or extremities in a position on the holder relative to the X-ray cassette without requiring an attendant, thereby eliminating radiation exposure to the attendant. The holder has a thin rectangular hollow box-like main body formed of rigid radiolucent autoclavable material with an open end defining a central compartment surrounded by contiguous top and bottom walls, side walls, and an end wall. A plurality of slot-like depressions are formed along its side walls and end wall. An end cap removably snap fits on the main body open end to enclose the central compartment. A plurality of clip members are releasably engaged with respective pairs of the slot-like depressions at selective positions and receive and engage the free ends of resilient hold-down bands that extend across the patient's limb and/or limb extremities to resiliently maintain the limb or extremities in a position against the cassette holder relative to an X-ray cassette contained in the central compartment while obtaining intraoperative radiographs. The clips can also be engaged in slots in a support stand that supports the cassette holder in a vertical position.